Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Constitutional
The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that the federal ban on partial-birth abortions is constitutional and is, therefore, the law of the land. The decision was 5-4, with Justice Kennedy writing for the Court. It overruled or superseded six other federal court decisions finding the federal ban unconstitutional.
For Court watchers, this is an especially interesting case. It affirms what many suspected; that Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito are going to be conservative on this issue. This does not shift the Court much concerning Roberts, who replaced Chief Justice Rehnquist. But it does denote a shift concerning Alito, who replaced Justice O'Connor, who was more liberal when it came to abortion cases. It also demonstrates that Justice Kennedy, who some believe has drifted to the left in recent years, cannot be classified so easily.
I have a busy day today, but I will likely update after I have read the decision.
For Court watchers, this is an especially interesting case. It affirms what many suspected; that Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito are going to be conservative on this issue. This does not shift the Court much concerning Roberts, who replaced Chief Justice Rehnquist. But it does denote a shift concerning Alito, who replaced Justice O'Connor, who was more liberal when it came to abortion cases. It also demonstrates that Justice Kennedy, who some believe has drifted to the left in recent years, cannot be classified so easily.
I have a busy day today, but I will likely update after I have read the decision.
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